When Danny Kingad steps inside the ring at ONE Fight Night 7, he knows he will have his hands full in defending his #3 flyweight ranking against a surging Indonesian star. Eko Roni Saputra is on a seven-bout first-round finish streak in ONE Championship. The incredible run now brings him to the top end of the division.
On February 24, Kingad is preparing to end that streak and reinsert himself into the title picture. The proud Filipino has a good read on what he can expect from his opponent. After studying the film, Kingad is not too concerned with his standup but is conscious of the Indonesian’s wrestling game.
“Eko Roni Saputra has been impressive. He’s on a seven-fight winning streak. What I see from him though is that he always favors his ground game and wrestling, that’s where he’s at his best, and that’s what I’ve observed from his previous fights. I’ve watched his every fight, and it’s the ground game that I have to worry about. Sure, he has a knockout win, but his opponent wasn’t a good striker,” said Kingad.
Kingad was adamant that he would test Saputra early. The #3-ranked flyweight contender said that if he can defend the takedown, he will begin pressing the action and may even go to his own takedowns. But he knows the true advantage lies within his fists.
“I really don’t know where he’ll challenge me. I think at the end of the day, he’ll have a hard time wherever this match goes. I’ll be aiming for the knockout, but the most important thing is to win. I have to win this fight,” said the Team Lakay star.
More than defending his ranking, Kingad knows he needs to get back in the win column to chase the gold. In his last outing, in December 2021, Kingad dropped a decision to Kairat Akhmetov. After more than a year away, he is ready to return better than ever.
If all goes as planned, the door to a title shot could be open for the Filipino. When ONE debuts on U.S. soil on May 5, Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes will complete their trilogy. The circumstances after ONE Fight Night 10 will determine who is next up for the champion coming out of Denver. That is not lost on Kingad, who aims to end the year with the gold around his waist.
“My goal for 2023 is to get a good winning streak going. I’m coming off a loss, so I have to get back on the winning track, start a winning streak and then become a World Champion before the year ends. That’s my goal this 2023,” said Kingad.
ONE Fight Night 7 hails from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The action begins on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST. The event is live and free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
